Ticket prices to be based on time of year?

[ArwenMarie]

I don’t think it’s surprising that they are doing this, but I do think the logistics will be a pain. As opposed to now when you can buy a multi-day ticket and use it whenever.

 

[Liljo22]

Its already been announced it will be coming to multi-day tickets later this year.

Exactly so why the 4 page thread rumor thread that it may happen.

 

[dreiwhit]

I just don't see it working for a theme park UNLESS they start capping entrance to the parks to help guarantee lower wait times.

Besides long wait times, another problem I have with crowded parks is that its very hard to move around. There are a lot of choke points - Mexico in Epcot, and between Peter Pan and Small World in MK. There are times we've had to really bob & weave to walk in the crowds or get where we want to go.

Why would people pay MORE for essentially LESS.

When it comes Disney, people do it willingly. And they will criticize you if you disagree with them or point out that you're getting more for less. I recently got beaten up on another thread for positing exactly that....

Disney corporate knows that there are people that will go to a Disney park no matter what the cost is. And because of that, they will keep raising ticket prices, parking prices, hotel prices, etc.

What sticks in my craw is that I've noticed for my family and I that as the cost of a Disney vacation goes up, what we've gotten in return goes down. Even the intangible - our magical experience - has decreased with each visit we've made to WDW.

 

[jknezek]

People will pay more to go in the summer or during Spring Break or over Christmas Break because they don't have to take the kids out of school. It's that simple. The traditional high times all revolve around school schedules. Disney has manufactured other high times with their festivals, Food & Wine and Flower & Garden. Or with the RunDisney events. But people will pay more to go, despite the high times, because it is convenient or it coincides with something they want to do.

The big thing with this ticket shift is that I expect Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to cost more, on multi-day tickets, than Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Again, it's about convenience. People will pay because weekends don't involve days off, and 3 and 4 day weekends mean only 2 days off.

Supply and demand. Disney has limited supply and they haven't come to the end of demand. So prices rise.

 

[tlmadden73]

People will pay more to go in the summer or during Spring Break or over Christmas Break because they don't have to take the kids out of school. It's that simple. The traditional high times all revolve around school schedules. Disney has manufactured other high times with their festivals, Food & Wine and Flower & Garden. Or with the RunDisney events. But people will pay more to go, despite the high times, because it is convenient or it coincides with something they want to do.

The big thing with this ticket shift is that I expect Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to cost more, on multi-day tickets, than Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Again, it's about convenience. People will pay because weekends don't involve days off, and 3 and 4 day weekends mean only 2 days off.

Supply and demand. Disney has limited supply and they haven't come to the end of demand. So prices rise.

Oh for sure, but this is a theme park, not an airline or a hotel that has limited room, but the same "service" whether you are in a crowded plane or an empty plane.
If I pay more to get the last seat on an airplane on Christmas Day, I am paying more because that spot is in high demand. But once I pay it, I get the same service. My flight doesn't take longer to get to its destination because it is more crowded.

At a theme park, if I pay MORE to go on a high-demand time, I have to spend more time moving through crowds and more times waiting in lines. I only get on 10 rides that day compared to 20 rides if I would have went during a non-peak time(and oddly paid less). So it should be opposite, in my opinion.

I went to LEGOLAND discovery center and if you choose to come late in the day (like 2:00 PM) they charge you significantly less (because you are spending less hours there). To me that is how theme park "tiered" pricing should work.

Want to come in at rope drop? $150 .. want to come in at noon? $125 .. want to come in at 3:00 PM ?- $100.

 

[The Pho]

Oh for sure, but this is a theme park, not an airline or a hotel that has limited room, but the same "service" whether you are in a crowded plane or an empty plane.
If I pay more to get the last seat on an airplane on Christmas Day, I am paying more because that spot is in high demand. But once I pay it, I get the same service. My flight doesn't take longer to get to its destination because it is more crowded.

At a theme park, if I pay MORE to go on a high-demand time, I have to spend more time moving through crowds and more times waiting in lines. I only get on 10 rides that day compared to 20 rides if I would have went during a non-peak time(and oddly paid less). So it should be opposite, in my opinion.

I went to LEGOLAND discovery center and if you choose to come late in the day (like 2:00 PM) they charge you significantly less (because you are spending less hours there). To me that is how theme park "tiered" pricing should work.

Want to come in at rope drop? $150 .. want to come in at noon? $125 .. want to come in at 3:00 PM ?- $100.

More people want to go during higher demand times so they can charge more because people want to go more during that time and are willing to pay. Less demanding times are cheaper to entice more people to go when it's cheaper.

 

[Moliphino]

More people want to go during higher demand times so they can charge more because people want to go more during that time and are willing to pay. Less demanding times are cheaper to entice more people to go when it's cheaper.

You just saved me some typing.

 

[jknezek]

Oh for sure, but this is a theme park, not an airline or a hotel that has limited room, but the same "service" whether you are in a crowded plane or an empty plane.
If I pay more to get the last seat on an airplane on Christmas Day, I am paying more because that spot is in high demand. But once I pay it, I get the same service. My flight doesn't take longer to get to its destination because it is more crowded.

At a theme park, if I pay MORE to go on a high-demand time, I have to spend more time moving through crowds and more times waiting in lines. I only get on 10 rides that day compared to 20 rides if I would have went during a non-peak time(and oddly paid less). So it should be opposite, in my opinion.

I went to LEGOLAND discovery center and if you choose to come late in the day (like 2:00 PM) they charge you significantly less (because you are spending less hours there). To me that is how theme park "tiered" pricing should work.

Want to come in at rope drop? $150 .. want to come in at noon? $125 .. want to come in at 3:00 PM ?- $100.

Actually, you do get less buying the last seat on the plane. If you ride on an empty plane, do you not get more room to spread out? More room in the overhead bins? More attention from the drink cart? Of course you do. It's just that isn't what is promised when you buy a ticket. Similarly, Disney does not promise you'll get all the rides, all the character interactions, all the reservations you want, regardless of high or low time. Disney just says the ticket gets you in the door.

It's exactly the same. You pay more for less on that high demand airline, but you weren't promised the "more". At Disney you pay more for less for high demand time, but you weren't promised the "more".

It's your choice to sacrifice more money and take fewer days off or not pull your kids from school. It might be my choice to sacrifice less money but use more days off. It's all economics in one form or another. It's all supply and demand and it's all what you are willing to pay, either in terms of money or something else, for the service Disney provides. Or the service the airline provides in your example.

 

[tlmadden73]

More people want to go during higher demand times so they can charge more because people want to go more during that time and are willing to pay. Less demanding times are cheaper to entice more people to go when it's cheaper.

Oh .. I understand that for sure .. doesn't mean I like it.

I can see that concept . .your ticket just gets you entry to the park .. how many rides/attractions you get on is up to you and not "guaranteed".

I just guess it takes a mindset change.

The "High-demand" times are the "normal" price.
The "low-demand" times are the "discounted" price.

With that mindset change, it definitely not AS frustrating and hopefully a pricing structure like this helps balance the crowds out.

I wonder if they will go as far to have different prices for different parks. Epcot may need some discount encouragement (during non-festival times) to get guests there during all of its upcoming construction.

 

[dlavender]

Oh .. I understand that for sure .. doesn't mean I like it.

I can see that concept . .your ticket just gets you entry to the park .. how many rides/attractions you get on is up to you and not "guaranteed".

I just guess it takes a mindset change.

The "High-demand" times are the "normal" price.
The "low-demand" times are the "discounted" price.

With that mindset change, it definitely not AS frustrating and hopefully a pricing structure like this helps balance the crowds out.

I wonder if they will go as far to have different prices for different parks. Epcot may need some discount encouragement (during non-festival times) to get guests there during all of its upcoming construction.

Don't they already have different prices for different parks?

 

[jknezek]

Don't they already have different prices for different parks?

A One Day ticket for Magic Kingdom is more expensive than the other 3, though I believe EPCOT, DHS and AK are always the same price.

 

[tlmadden73]

Don't they already have different prices for different parks?

Right .. some are speculating that DHS (due to demand after SWGE opens) may have a higher price than both Epcot and AK.
Maybe simply the same cost as MK .. (or more)

Add in different prices for different days .. who knows how much a Disney vacation will cost anymore .. heh.

It may make the Annual Pass more appealing though.

 

[dlavender]

A One Day ticket for Magic Kingdom is more expensive than the other 3, though I believe EPCOT, DHS and AK are always the same price.

Right .. some are speculating that DHS (due to demand after SWGE opens) may have a higher price than both Epcot and AK.
Maybe simply the same cost as MK .. (or more)

Add in different prices for different days .. who knows how much a Disney vacation will cost anymore .. heh.

It may make the Annual Pass more appealing though.

Good call. For some reason I thought they were all a little different, but it is only MK on the separate tier.

I still can't see them elevating another park like they did MK, unless they are moving them all up to match MK in a few years.

Even with SWGE and TSL, HS is still lacking vs MK. Even with Pandora, AK is still lacking. Even with rat and GoTG, Epcot is still lacking. But if attendance swells enough at the "little 3", then I think they will make the call to elevate them all....

Only to reelevate MK after Tron....

 

[jknezek]

Good call. For some reason I thought they were all a little different, but it is only MK on the separate tier.

I still can't see them elevating another park like they did MK, unless they are moving them all up to match MK in a few years.

Even with SWGE and TSL, HS is still lacking vs MK. Even with Pandora, AK is still lacking. Even with rat and GoTG, Epcot is still lacking. But if attendance swells enough at the "little 3", then I think they will make the call to elevate them all....

Only to reelevate MK after Tron....

I don't think the other 3 will ever be on the same level of MK for one simple reason. I would bet that the most common 1 day ticket sold is to MK. If you have 1 day, that's where most people go. I get that SW:GE might change that equation some, but I still think, for people visiting Grandma with 1 day to spend with the kids, MK is going to be the overwhelming top park to go to. It's iconic, it has the most rides, it has the most to do for the various ages. When you tell people you are going to Disney, they assume you are going to MK and maybe some combination of the other 3.

Supply and demand. The demand is there for MK in a way the other parks can't match, and I bet that is especially true for 1 day type tickets.

 

[tlmadden73]

I don't think the other 3 will ever be on the same level of MK for one simple reason. I would bet that the most common 1 day ticket sold is to MK. If you have 1 day, that's where most people go. I get that SW:GE might change that equation some, but I still think, for people visiting Grandma with 1 day to spend with the kids, MK is going to be the overwhelming top park to go to. It's iconic, it has the most rides, it has the most to do for the various ages. When you tell people you are going to Disney, they assume you are going to MK and maybe some combination of the other 3.

Supply and demand. The demand is there for MK in a way the other parks can't match, and I bet that is especially true for 1 day type tickets.

Plus MK has more total attractions than any of the other 2 parks combined (though once SWGE is done, DHS will have a lot).